Binoswill welcome ElginCity
Stirling Uni are dumped out of the Scottish Cup but boss lashes praise on hard-working players
Stirling Albion return to action after a weekend off when they host the university’s cup conquerors Elgin City on Saturday.
Kevin Rutkiewicz’s side drew 2-2 at Annan in their last outing 10 days ago to extend their unbeaten run to three matches and are looking to make a positive start to a December fixture list that also includes games against Queen’s Park, Albion Rovers, Peterhead and Cowdenbeath.
Elgin are fifth in the table and lost their last two league games at home to Berwick Rangers and Clyde but Gavin Price’s men ran out 4-0 winners against Stirling University at Forthbank in the third round of the Scottish Cup with a display of clinical finishing.
Speaking ahead of the game, Rutkiewicz said: “For our part, we have always got to try and be better. I’m not a negative person by nature but I’m not naïve enough to ignore any things we need to get better at. Martin Hardie and I will shoulder some of the blame because the tactical performance in the first half at Annan wasn’t good enough either.
“We have to get better week on week and I’d rather start the Elgin game closer to the way we finished against Annan, which was more where we want to be.”
The Binos boss has confirmed that injured duo Lee Hamilton and Mark Stewart are both likely to be sidelined for another few weeks.
Meanwhile, Rutkiewicz confirmed that talks are continuing over the possibility of former Scotland B cap Michael McIndoe joining the club after playing the maximum permitted three games as a trialist. to be tough at 2-0 down to any league team but it was fairly even after that until half time.
“There was a sharpness about the Elgin players.
“They can all take the ball under pressure and physically they are developed.
“There was a size difference between them and us and a lot of our boys are a lot younger.
“You saw afterwards that people were proud of the team and I think 4-0 flatters Elgin a bit, in my opinion. They deserved to win but maybe not 4-0. If you look at the stats I think we maybe had more shots at goal but there wasn’t much on target.”
Geddes added: “You go into any game thinking you have an opportunity and the boys were looking forward to it – we played an aggressive formation and I don’t think that cost us; it was just bits of smartness from the Elgin players – the likes of Shane Sutherland was excellent.
“I wanted our guys to do the university proud and I think they have done that.
“All our players are striving to play for an Elgin or someone like that and I don’t think they did themselves any harm.
Elgin City gaffer, Gavin Price, also heaped praise on the hosts. He said: “Stirling are a hard– working team and we had done our homework on them.
“I’ve watched them two or three times myself in their Wednesday games so we knew we would be up against a willing team and had to give them the respect they deserve.”
I am a bit deflated but also really proud of my players’ achievements in this cup run.